F.A.Q.

What is this blog about?

The BrandBuilder blog provides commentary and discussions about Brand Management best practices.

Though topics vary from week to week, typical areas of focus are Corporate Communications, Product Design, Social Media, Change Management, Leadership, Customer Relations, Community Management, Measurement, Strategy and Planning, PR, Advertising, Copywriting, Brand Development, Crisis Management, Integrated Marketing, Quality Control, Customer Relations, Traditional Media, Enterprise 2.0, Mobile Marketing, and Experience Design.

Occasionally, we also touch on triathlon, international travel, news, pop culture and chihuahuas, just to keep things from getting too businessy.

For best results, I recommend entering a keyword or two in the search box and letting the archive sort through itself. (It is… vast.)

Who am I?

It’s all right here, and this is what I usually look like:

What is my professional background?

For full details, check out my profile and CV on LinkedIn, then put it all together with these shmancy timeline and pie charts:

Management Inventory

Industry Breakdown

What do I do?

I do a number of things:

1. As Principal at Red Chair Group, I provide basic, intermediate and advanced Social Media Operational training programs for executives and organizations.

2. As principal at TheBrandBuilder Marketing, I provide Brand Development and Brand Management solutions to agency, corporate and not-for-profit clients (including but not limited to Social Media).

3. Outside of these two organizations, I am often hired to provide Brand Management, Social Media and Marketing consulting services to corporate clients.

4. I also do my fair share of speaking at key industry events and around the world.

5. I wrote a book. Haz yu heard of it? If you want to know how to build and manage social media / social business programs, it’s kind of a must-read.

Do I work with Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDA)?

Yes. Many of my clients prefer that I do. I don’t need to brag about who I work with, so your secrets are safe with me.

Do I have something that looks like a global client footprint?

Yes. Currently, my the companies I work with are located in the countries indicated on the world map below:

Is a Red Chair event coming to your part of the jungle this year?

Probably. If not, let me know and we will change that. Here is a map of the events planned for 2012 and 2013:

Where can I be reached (and how)?

Snail Mail: 209 North Main Street, Box 324, Greenville, SC 29601

Skype: 864.641.1343 or o.blanchard

Twitter: @thebrandbuilder

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/olivierblanchard

email: olivier@thebrandbuildermarketing.com

How do companies hire my services?

Step 1: Contact me.

Step 2: Submit a request.

Step 3: Let’s talk about it.

Can we talk about fees?

Sure thing. In ascending order:

My blog:

Free.

My Twitter Feed:

Free.

My LinkedIn discussions:

Free.

My “More Ideas Than Time” podcasts with Keith Burtis:

Free.

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Hearing me speak at a local event (South Carolina):

$10 to $100, depending on event registration fees.

Hearing me speak at a national/international event:

$75 to $900, depending on event registration fees.

Attending a Red Chair Training session:

$250 to $2,000, depending on the session type.

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Hiring me to speak at an event:

$5,000 – $15,000*, depending on the event (duration, distance from home base, etc.)

Hiring me for a half day of consulting:

$7,000* without retainer.

Hiring me for a full day of consulting:

$12,000* without retainer.

*Speaking fee only. Travel & accommodations billed separately.

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Retainer & Project fees: By request only.

Do I currently advertise on The BrandBuilder Blog?

Not currently, no. The BrandBuilder is still advertising-free for now.

How many languages do I speak?

Two: English and French. Fluently.

Note: I learned Spanish as a kid, but I understand it better than I speak it.

Is Chico (the brandbuilder mascot) real?

Yes. Chico the Chihuahua is real. So are Chiquita and Cholula, his live-in girlfriends. And yes, they’re all very loud when people knock on the door.

If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing? What would be your dream job?

Head copywriter for a fortune cookie manufacturer.

(Kidding. This is my dream job.)

What are your biggest social media lingo cliche/buzzword pet peeves?

Lingo cliches: R.O.I. (misused), R.O.E., Impressions, estimated media value, “engagement,” “conversations.”

Social Media pet peeves: Social Media experts, Auto-DMs in Twitter, companies that don’t understand the difference between Facebook friends and Facebook fans, 1.0 tactics in 2.0 channels, content robbery, people who preach transparency but don’t actually practice it.

Why did you leave Paris for Greenville, SC?

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

What is my favorite beer?

Hello, Bobby Rettew. Thanks for asking. :D I prefer wheat beers with heavy yeast residue. Franziskaner comes to mind. That said, I’m more of a gin & tonic guy.

What is your favorite food?

Any kind of seafood usually satisfies. I’m a sushi addict.

What is your most FAQ that you wish wasn’t?

Um… this one. (Kidding!) The question I get A LOT comes in the form of an invitation to coffee, usually and is expressed thus: “Want to do coffee sometime? I’d love to pick your brain.”

Tip: I’ll be happy to have coffee with anyone, but the coffee shop isn’t where I practice my trade. Anyone looking for consulting services can check out my fees and schedule an appointment. Coffee is social. Business is business. ;)

If you could take a year off, what would you do with your time?

I would circumnavigate the globe. Discovering new countries, new cultures, new customs, new foods… That would be top on my list. Crossing the breadth of Mongolia on horseback would definitely be part of that journey. India by train. China by motorcycle Australia by hot air balloon. Cameras around my neck, notebook in my pocket, let’s go.

I would do my best not to spend more than 25% of my time on the beach, but… I can’t promise anything.